Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Ivan Nova talked about his upcoming Game 2 start with the media this afternoon at Yankee Stadium (transcript thanks to ASAPSports.com):

Q. Ivan, how difficult do you think it will be for you to keep your emotions in control tomorrow night?
IVAN NOVA: I don’t think it’s going to be too difficult, because I do it time before. I had big games this year; it wasn’t difficult to do. Why is it going to be difficult tomorrow?

Q. Ivan, how much video of Andy Pettitte have you watched? And what have you learned from seeing him in the postseason?
IVAN NOVA: I don’t really see a lot of him. I see a couple. One thing I see is confidence, the way he do it on the mound. How he’s not rushing himself or anything. He has so much confidence in himself and a lot of concentration. That’s the thing I have to do tomorrow.

Q. Can you talk a little about the adjustments you made once you came back from your trip to Triple-A?
IVAN NOVA: I think I was more aggressive. I was getting ahead on everybody every time I can. It was a huge part of my process after I came here. I was totally different from the time I get — at the beginning of the season and then after I got sent down, I came here with another mindset, I don’t want to go back to the minor leagues. I was making sure to do everything possible to not go back to the minors again.

Q. When you’re on the mound tomorrow for that first pitch, what do you think your emotions will be like?
IVAN NOVA: I don’t know right now. I’m going to wait tomorrow and see. Right now I don’t know how it’s going to be. I hope I can be good. Right now I don’t know.

Q. Ivan, with Cabrera, a year ago the usual procedure for most pitchers was to simply not get beat by him, don’t pitch to him. With Victor Martinez behind him now, does that change your fundamental approach or are you still going to be of the opinion that this guy is not going to beat me?
IVAN NOVA: Yes, sometimes you have guys in the lineup like that, that you don’t want him to win the game. I know in situations I’m going to have to pitch him. If we don’t have to pitch him, that’s what we’re going to do, we don’t have to pitch him. Like I said yesterday, I’m going to try to be aggressive with him and try to take him out as quickly as possible.

Q. Ivan, at one point you said it was your goal to win double digit games this season. Does anything surprise you about where you are right now on the verge of starting Game 2?
IVAN NOVA: I mean, I wasn’t thinking at the beginning I was going to be the second starter in the playoffs. I always want to win. It’s what I like. Like I said one time, anytime I got the lead, I have to protect that lead and I have to go for the win.

Q. Ivan, I know you’re very close with A.J. Burnett, you’ve pretty much replaced him here on the playoff roster in this round, anyway, in the postseason rotation. Did you guys have a talk about this at all? Did you have to say anything to him about him losing his spot here?
IVAN NOVA: We don’t talk about that. We have a really good relationship and everybody here wants to win a game. I don’t have the chance to talk to him about that. I know he may feel bad, but what can I say? It’s the decision I don’t make, and I hope when he get the chance to pitch, he pitch well and help the team to win the game.

Q. You’ve seemed very confident all season. Has that always been a part of your personality or has that developed as you’ve had success?
IVAN NOVA: I’ve always been like that. That’s one of the important things in myself I have so many confidence in myself. I be like that for my whole life.

Q. Ivan, following up on what Wally asked, your relationship with A.J., what have you learned the most from him? And what has he helped you the most since you came up?
IVAN NOVA: I mean, he helped me with almost everything – personal, in the game. I remember that he teach me that when I was having my bad moments last year and this year in the beginning, every time — before I pitch, he always was telling me, don’t give them a reason to take me out of the game. During the game I was thinking when I have situation that could be trouble with me, that’s what I was thinking. I don’t have to give him a reason to take me out of the game. That was so important to me.

Q. When you left for spring training this year, your family said they want ten wins out of you. What are they telling you now?
IVAN NOVA: They’re really happy. They’re really happy. They knew I can do that more. Like I said, they want ten. I tell them I don’t want ten. I don’t think ten is enough. They are really happy with me. I don’t know what to tell about.
I’m so happy with what I did this year. Everything I do this year was especially for my family. Like I said earlier, for my grandfather he died last year. He wanted to see me in the playoffs. He don’t have a chance to see me right now. I know he’s going to be — he’s happy with me right now. I’m a family guy. I’m happy with them. They’re happy with me.

Q. You’re not the type to get nervous about very much, but I was wondering when was the last time you went out and pitched and felt maybe nervous or like there’s a lot on the line?
IVAN NOVA: It was last year, not this year. The first time when I get the call-up and the second time was when I got my first Big League start. I feel after I almost hit Bautista, because when he came to me, I don’t know what to do. That was the only time I was nervous. After that — I don’t really know what to do.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Ivan.

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